The Isolation and Identification of Free alpha-Glyceryl Ethers from the Colonial Zoanthid Palythoa Vestis

Abstract

A knowledge of the biological activities and chemical constituents of natural products is desirable not only for the discovery of new therapeutic agents but also because such in­ formation may be of value in disclosing new sources of economic materials of use per se or as precursors for the syntheses of more complex chemical substances. Also a knowledge of plant and animal toxins might render development of antidotes more reasonable and specific. Furthermore, a knowledge of the chemical constituents of plants and animals is valuable in the expanding area of chemotaxonomy (biochemical systematics), in biosynthesis studies, and in ascertaining the actual values of folklore medicines. The chemistry of natural products is in­ trinsically valuable to biochemistry and the relationship between the two is becoming increasingly close.